The Wireless Innovation Alliance commends the Senate Commerce Committee and Chairman Rockefeller on accepting Senator Cantwell's important amendment on unlicensed technologies. The bill, as amended by Senator Cantwell, recognizes that maintaining unlicensed access for Super WiFi in the TV band frequencies is a key driver of innovation and economic growth. Super WiFi is the way forward for the most efficient, effective and flexible use of spectrum, and forms the foundation for the "Innovation Bands" that will fuel growing demand and new technologies.

The adoption of Senator Cantwell's (D-WA) amendment to the S.911 public safety legislation stipulates that the FCC will have a mandate to use a portion of the auction proceeds, "for the purpose of ensuring that unlicensed spectrum remains available in these frequency bands, nationwide, and in each local market." The amendment helps to ensure that Super WiFi technologies can continue to be used for innovative uses.

Unlicensed spectrum provides a crucial platform for "innovation without permission" that results from low barriers to entry, the ability to experiment, the deployment of open standards and the creation of multi-layer competition which translates into low-cost products and services to market.

The adoption of the Cantwell amendment today echoes the sentiments of the National Broadband Plan, that long with freeing up more licensed spectrum, we must also expand and protect unlicensed spectrum as a platform for innovation and key component in our nation's spectrum reform agenda.

WIA looks forward to working closely with the Committee to ensure Super WiFi is protected and remains a fertile ground for American innovation and economic growth.

Earlier today, Reps. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) sent the attached letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler on the importance of establishing the technical rules necessary to allow unlicensed use of the 600 MHz band. The Wireless Innovation Alliance (WIA) released the statement below in response. More

The Wireless Innovation Alliance (WIA) released the statement below on today’s FCC Open Meeting where the Commission approved an order to implement a spectrum sharing framework in the 3550-3700 MHz band. More

The Wireless Innovation Alliance (WIA) is a broad-based group of innovators, providers, consumer groups, think tanks and education organizations that believe that more efficient use and expanded access to the nation’s spectrum resources are fundamental to the future of U.S. economic policy and global competitiveness, and that we face potential spectrum scarcities in both licensed and unlicensed bands that must be addressed in order for innovation and investment to move forward.